Minnesota Divorce Lawyers

Minnesota Divorce And The Business Owner

Small Business and Minnesota Divorce | With the increase of divorce in Minnesota, divorce lawyers have to become versed in business entities and law. The days of the general legal practitioner are gone. But, let me tell you a dirty little secret that most Minnesota divorce lawyers have, they are divorce lawyers….not business lawyers. They don’t like to look at the books, K-1 statements or god forbid, the taxes! Let me

explain a little more.

What often occurs in a divorce involving an S or C corporation or closely held partnership is that the income tax filings often have very little relationship to what the company actually makes. For example, depreciation is a tax issue, but one that does not really matter in a divorce, In fact, under Minnesota Child Support and spousal maintenance laws it’s excluded. Remember most small business owners don’t like to pay taxes and will do any legal thing they can to avoid paying them..

Another place to look for income is a “like kind” payment, this can mean cell phones, retirement contributions, car payments and insurance payments. Your divorce lawyer must, must understand this and be comfortable in dealing with these issues.

Finally, valuing a small business is often the most difficult part of the case. Many divorce or general practice lawyers who are not experienced will say that a partnership of closely held corporation has no value because it can’t be sold. While that’s a great argument, it’s not the law in Minnesota. Minnesota case law explains that while the ability to transfer ownership rights is a factor that the court should look at, it is not the final factor in determining the value of a business.

If you are in the need of a Minnesota divorce lawyer and have an ownership in a small business, it’s critical that you interview your Minnesota divorce attorney and ask what type of experience they have with both valuing the business and determining the cash flow of the business.

Information obtained in mankatofamilylaw.com may contain knowledgable content about Minnesota Family Law that may be considered beneficial to some; however, in no way should this website or its contents be considered legal advice. Mr. Kohlmeyer is a Minnesota licensed Attorney and cannot provide legal services or guidance to those outside of Minnesota. If you wish to retain Mr. Kohlmeyer as your Attorney in your Family Law matter, contact 507-625-5000.

With over 15 years experience in high conflict family law cases, having received numerous awards, and a frequent lecturer through both Minnesota and the United States on family law issues, Jason has decided to help people through a blog, answering some of the most common questions that people have during divorce and family law. cases. http://rokolaw.com/southern-minnesota-lawyers/jason-kohlmeyer/
Remember this isn't legal advice. Just blog and attempts to answer general questions, for legal advice you need to hire a lawyer. If you're in Minnesota our firm would be happy to see if we can help you.